Medicinal Honey - what is?

[yahyal]

Hi all,

I'm interested in what makes honey medicinal, and do all types of honey have medicinal properties?

I read something about Yemeni (sidr) honey - does anyone know anything about it?

[Kathyp]

a lot of claims have been made about honey.  some are legitimate, some are questionable.  raw honey appears to have anti-bacterial properties.  it has been used for centuries as a wound dressing and as a preservative.  you can google info on that.

there are people who swear that honey helps with allergies.  the research is mixed on that. 

honey is a better sweetener for those with blood sugar problems because it is a complex carbohydrate and has a more favorable glycemic index than processed white sugar (or brown).

was there some particular use you were interested in?  you might be a more specific answer.  also, if you could go to your profile and put your location, there might be someone in your area who can help you with local honey.

[luvin honey]

honey is a better sweetener for those with blood sugar problems because it is a complex carbohydrate and has a more favorable glycemic index than processed white sugar (or brown).

I hate to argue, but I've looked up the glycemic index of honey versus sugar. Depending on the type of honey, it is either the same or actually higher than sugar. Just wouldn't want a diabetic using honey before researching a bit...

As for health, I just intuitively believe that the less processed a food is, the better. Raw honey is about as unprocessed as it gets, and I can tell you that my mental health skyrockets when I am chawing on a wad of raw honeycomb fresh out of the hive :D